Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) is planning to replace its traditional Grade 11 English course with an Indigenous Education course. While the board has offered the course as an elective since 2015, the replacement was recently piloted in four of the board’s schools. After taking into account feedback from students and teachers, superintendent Jeff Crowell said that the course will be mandatory in all of the board’s secondary schools next year. “We have a plethora of Indigenous authors, writers, poets, and playwrights that haven’t had the venue to be able to teach our youth,” said HCDSB Indigenous Education Advisor Sherry Saevil. Saevil added that the course will prepare students for success in postsecondary where they may be required to complete an Indigenous Studies course.
